Voters in Tennessee passed Amendment 1, a measure which will give lawmakers more power to regulate and restrict abortions.
The amendment passed by a margin of 54% to 46%.
The amendment reads:
Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.
Supporters of the amendment say it allows for greater oversight to protect the health of women. Opponents say it's a guise to limit a woman's right to a safe abortion.
RELATED: The amendment will have no immediate effect on abortion in Tennessee. However, lawmakers would have more ability in the future to pass restrictions that the state Supreme Court has previously ruled were unconstitutional.
Tennessee is now the fourth state in the nation that has an abortion amendment in its constitution. The other three states are Arkansas, Colorado and Rhode Island.
Jeff Teague, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee has said the amendment could make it "virtually impossible for women to access safe, legal abortions in Tennessee."
More than $4 million has been funneled into this race. Opponents of the measure have outspent supporters by a nearly 3-to-1 ratio.
An apparent Amendment 1 supporter created an online campaign, urging people not to vote for any candidate in the governor's race. The thought behind the campaign is that by not voting in the governor's race, you "double" your vote for Amendment One. But this isn't entirely true.
Currently, Tennessee bans abortions after the fetus is deemed viable unless it is necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother.
Back in 2000, the Tennessee Supreme Court did away with mandatory waiting periods and rules requiring doctors to tell patients what an abortion procedure actually entails.
What measures can lawmakers now enact?
Examples of measures that lawmakers and others have spoken publicly about include:
• A waiting period before a woman seeking an abortion can obtain one.
• A requirement that doctors give women specifically worded information about abortions and fetal development crafted by lawmakers.
• A ban on abortions past a certain stage of fetal development.
• A requirement that abortion clinics meet the stricter standards of ambulatory surgical centers where typically more complex medical procedures are performed.
• An end to exceptions to abortion restrictions for women who are victims of rape or incest, or in cases in which a woman's health is at risk.
The Tennessean contributed to this report.
